Abstract

The article focuses on the inspirational underlay of the international system, especially the supranational institutions, such as the League of Nation, its successor organisation, the United Nations and its specialized agencies such as the International Court of Justice, UNESCO and Security Council as well as the legal complex of these institutions (International Law). The article underscores new initiatives in the area of international public law, namely, the Landmine Treaty and the International Criminal Court. It argues that in spite of the overarching odds which the international system faces, the system has reduced substantially deadly conflicts in its collective security aspiration. It further argues that state sovereignty and the legal principles derived there from shape largely the anarchical international system and as such constitute a snag to the efficacy of international law. Whereas this reality has made collective security a distant cry, the article concludes that the extant institutions of the international system have recorded some laudable achievements vis-à-vis their aims and objectives including making inroads into new horizons.